The management of National Youth Service Corps NYSC has warned corps members against being agents of fake news.
The scheme in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi said :
“As the globe reels under the heavy weight of COVID-19 pandemic, a serious threat that has affected virtually every country of the world, blind to race, creed and social status, it is very worrisome that the hard-hit nations, struggling with the devastating health blows dealt by the scourge, with attendant economic implosions and social dislocations; the creation and dissemination of fake news has been added to the mix.”
Coming home, it has assumed a monstrous stature, therefore requiring well articulated advocacies to contain.
“If we cast our minds back to the year 2014 when we battled the highly deadly Ebola virus, a particular fake news was created and bandied about by some mischievous Nigerians which caused many people across the country to tread the dangerous path of drinking salted water, as well as bathing with same.”
“The ungodly news resulted in so many deaths, especially among the hypertensive patients, whose blood pressures, triggered by the excessive consumption of salt went astronomically high, thereby leading to avoidable fatalities.”
“With the raging COVID-19, so many unverified stories have been created, ranging from the seemingly serious ones, to the outrightly absurd and ridiculous ones which someone with an elevated mind such as yours, should be able to decipher as false.”
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, expressed his confidence that the Scheme parades a creme of the most enlightened class of Nigerian youths, with diversified knowledge which implored them not to yield to fake news or become purveyors of the news.
While urging corps members to always verify the source (s) of news, so as to guard against being made a fool of, which swallowing the news, hook line and sinker represents, he admonished the corps members join the vanguard against the spread of fake news, in order to root out the dangerous malaise from our Nation.
“Therefore, it behooves you to interrogate every news, knowing its source (s), in order to make an informed judgment.
Being armed with the distilled details shall place you on a good stead to give out the correct information to the less-informed.
Each one, inform one.
“As the world fights COVID-19, a real threat to human existence, remember to always abide by all the safety rules released by the Federal Government agencies, especially, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); and the National Youth Service Corps.
Always stay tuned to the traditional and new media, particularly the NYSC platforms.
Stay safe.” the statement said.
